Category Archives: Uncategorized

I’m launching a podcast!

Some news! I’m a big fan of writing podcasts, and I’ve been wanting to make one myself for a while. So Lucy Powrie, author of The Paper & Hearts Society and #UKYAchat creator, has teamed up with me to create Dog-Eared Pages, a new literary podcast full of book recommendations and writing advice. Specifically our chat focusesContinue reading “I’m launching a podcast!”

Writing a ‘readable’ novella for Barrington Stoke

When Barrington Stoke approached me about writing an accessible novella for struggling readers, I knew immediately that I wanted to write a science fiction story. The sci-fi genre can be incredibly hard to get into for new readers. Books tend to be 500+ pages long, with lots of dense science facts and made-up terminology that’sContinue reading “Writing a ‘readable’ novella for Barrington Stoke”

Upcoming events, online courses &c

Lots of stuff to tell you today! First up, my Writers HQ Coventry retreat this Saturday still has a few spots left.  I‘m not running the June date and there’s no August retreat. Applications are now open for my @writementor mentoring and editing online course. I’m doing a panel at Waterstones Nottingham next week. I’ll beContinue reading “Upcoming events, online courses &c”

My next book – The Starlight Watchmaker!

Surprise! I have a SECOND BOOK coming out this year! The Starlight Watchmaker is a novella about a lonely android watchmaker at an alien academy, and the pompous Duke who drags him out of his attic workshop. It’s coming out in paperback in July with Barrington Stoke, and it’s designed to be really readable forContinue reading “My next book – The Starlight Watchmaker!”

Day course at University of Cambridge

Popping in for a quick announcement! I’m going to be teaching a day course at University of Cambridge this November called ‘Write the one percent: creating diverse, inclusive fiction’. More info here.  If you work in a UK state school you can get a 50% bursary on the tuition fee! During the course of thisContinue reading “Day course at University of Cambridge”

Science representation in YA

The Quiet at the End of the World features two characters who study STEM, just like my other books (I have a niche, and it is intensely nerdy characters). This time, Lowrie, the protagonist, is an engineer and her best friend-slash-lifelong-crush Shen studies evolutionary biology. They are also both archaeologists, but they would never call themselvesContinue reading “Science representation in YA”